Railroad: Northern Central Michigan Rail Road Company, The

Built → Northern Central Michigan Railroad → Lake Shore & Michigan Southern Railway Lansing Division

Built: 1872 - Jonesville to Albion. 1873 - to Lansing.

Operated for 1 year. This was a construction railroad.

Control: 1873 - by Lake Shore & Michigan Southern. Leased to LS&MS in 1897.

Merged: 1915 into New York Central.

Reference: [MRRC]

Notes

This road was chartered in 1866. The Northern Central Michigan Railroad Company by contract and lease dated May 1, 1897, leased its property to the Lake Shore & Michigan Southern Railway company, during the full term of its corporate existence, for a nominal rental. The LS&MS owns practically all of the stock of the company. The road had 61.36 miles in Michigan and 9.09 miles of sidings and spurs. [MCR-1904]

The Northern Central Michigan railroad company was owned at inception by the Lake Shore & Michigan Southern railroad. The Lake Shore operated the "old road" from Toledo west to Chicago via Adrian and Hillsdale and it built several branch lines north to bring passenger and freight traffic to their main line, in competition mostly with the Michigan Central, Grand Trunk and forerunners of the Pere Marquette.

The Northern Central was a construction railroad. It was built off the Old Road from a junction just west of the Lake Shore depot at Jonesville north to Albion, Eaton Rapids, Lansing and North Lansing in 1872. Significant other towns along the route were Litchfield, Homer and Springport. The line crossed other railroads at various locations with interlocking towers:

• Homer: MC Air Line and the DT&M
• Albion: MC Main Line (interurban overhead)
• Eaton Rapids: MC Grand Rapids branch
• Lansing: Peninsular Railroad (GTW)

It had one short branch line in north Lansing to reach the Detroit, Lansing and Lake Michigan (which later became the C&O).

Officers of the Northern Michigan in 1872 included three Albion residents as well as a resident of Jonesville and Lansing.  But other board members resided in New York or Cleveland and were directors of the Lake Shore (controlled by this time by Vanderbilt interests). Division Superintendent T. J. Charlesworth and the general offices were located in Albion in the early days.

Construction of the 60 mile long main line, all in Michigan, cost $1.2 million. The line had only one bridge, a 44' single span located near Litchfield. It also had 9 trestles of various lengths. Originally there were 55 highway crossings, one of which (Michigan Avenue in Lansing) was over top the railroad on a bridge as the grade of the railroad was along the river and low. Iron rail was originally used at 56 lbs. per yard. The railroad originally owned 25 box cars and 30 flat cars.

Shortly after being built, the line was operated as a part of the Lake Shore. Northward trains were likely built in Jonesville or Hillsdale. There were no other significant yards on the line however this branch, known as the Lansing branch or division, had significant industry located along it.

In 1896, Litchfield had a grain elevator and Litchfield Mills flour.  By 1907, a freight house had been added near the passenger station. In 1913 a lumber and coal yard was served.

At Homer, the railroad served the Cortright Milling Company flour and feed mill on Byron Street. This mill had a single siding and a capacity of 125 barrels. It had a corn sheller, buckwheat cleaner, two separators, one dust collector, eight double sets of rollers and a wheat separator. The passenger station was south of Adams Street.

Initial customers in Albion were the Gale Manufacturing foundry in the southwest section of town [viewed on SBM-1880], and the Albion Manufacturing Company. By 1918, the Wocholz & Gress Coal Yard (east of Ionia St.), the J. W. Brant Co. (manufacturer of proprietary medicine), and the Hayes Wheel Co., Hub Department was on Edison in the northeast section of town.

The Lake Shore depot in Albion was on the south side of the track, between Superior and Clinton Streets. A freight house and grain warehouse was east of Superior St. on the south side.

In Springport, the railroad served a grain warehouse on the west side of the track opposite the passenger depot (1892). That elevator was owned by Frank E. Nowlin & Co. by 1918.  Also served by rail was a 7,000 bushel capacity bean warehouse owned by the E. C. Comstock & Company.

In Eaton Rapids, Sanborn maps noted no industry on the Lake Shore until 1911. At this time the line served the Crane & Crane grain and bean elevator as well as the Webster & Sons lumber and coal yard. In 1918, the line served the municipal water works and electric plant (bringing coal) and the Island City Pickle Works.

In 1880 in Lansing, the line exclusively served the Capital City Manufacturing Company, which built wagons. This multi-building facility was just south of Michigan Avenue, near the railroad's grain warehouse. Other industries served included the Lansing Wheelbarrow Company Works (south of Saginaw Street east of the river), the Capital Gate Works (south of E. Shiawassee Street), the Capital Flouring Mills and Cady, Glassbrook & Company foundry and machine shop, both located on Factory Street south of Franklin.

Time Line

1872. Work on the Northern Central railroad is rapidly progressing, although it has been suspended for over a week on account of unfavorable weather. An engine house and a temporary freight depot have been built at Albion. They intend to have it in running order from Jonesville to Lansing by July, next. [DFP-1872-0321]

1913. The railroad served the Reo Motor Car Company (along with the GTW off Washington Street), the Reo showroom and dock east of the plant, the South Lansing Coal Yard (East Hazel Street), Jarvis Engine & Machine Works (Spring St.), Gifford Engine Company (Hosmer and Spring St.), Standard Oil, Atlas Drop Forge Co., Bates & Edmonds :Motor Company, Rikard Lumber, Michigan Condensed Milk Co,, The Lansing Company (manufacturers of wheelbarrows, trucks and concrete mixers), Jones, Smith & Chapman works, Standard Castings Company (E. Franklin St.), and the Peerless Motor Company.

The ornate Lansing passenger station was located on the east side of the main line north of E. Michigan Avenue. The line had another passenger station in North Lansing just south of Beaver Street. On the north side of Beaver, there was a turntable and 3-stall roundhouse, as well as a long coal shed and water tower on the west side of the main line north of Beaver St.

The railroad lasted in its entirety until 1941 when the line was removed from Springport to Lansing. Some trackage in Lansing was converted to yard trackage operated by NYC Lansing crews. In 1943, the line from Litchfield to Albion was removed. In 1968, the line from Albion to Springport was abandoned, including the grade crossing across the I-94 expressway.

What remains of the Lansing Division? The line from Jonesville to Litchfield is currently operated by the Indiana and Northeastern, though it seems to be used to store cars. Some track in the City of Albion exists, from a junction with Amtrak west of the depot, east through town to industry on the northeast side. In southwest Lansing, a bit of track extends south from the CN main line and is serviced by the Jackson & Lansing railroad.